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Junior Member
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 27 January 2012 11:11
Posts: 14,
Visits: 75
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Well it was the day i had been waiting for, then again, the day i had been dreading. i couldnt tell if i was more excited or nervous about what i was about to do.
Going back, for years and years, laser eye surgery was something i always thought id do one day, never thought i would actually be in a position when i was actually going to do it.
Since i was young, or for as long as i can remember, I have always worn glasses, up until i was 21, i decided to go for contact lenses as i no longer felt comfortable or confident wearing glasses. i could never find a pair that suited me, the lenses looked stupid because they were so thick, and because of this, it made my eyes look tiny, i hated it!
My eyesite is (left eye 5.5, right eye 5) so as you can imagine, life without contacts or glasses is pretty much impossible.
after wearing contacts for a few years, all of a sudden, i developed an eye infection. becuase of this, it caused me to have 2 tiny scars on my right eye, and since then, contacts were difficult and i no longer got along with them as well as i used to. i would have to take them out earler, they'd get dry, and make me feel really tired.
Fast forward to a couple of months ago. My friend had a consultation with Optimax, and luckily for him there was a cancellation that week for treatment. before i knew it, he'd had it done and couldnt be more happy, claiming it was the best money he had ever spent!
This persuaded me and after a while, and after speaking to a helpful online advisor, i plucked up the courage to go ahead and book myself in for a consultation.
The consulatation was straight forward and pretty much an eye test, i was told there and then how much it would be, and all the options available to me for the treatment.
I decided to go all out, with the Lasik, Intralase and Wavefront. After all, you only get 1 set of eyes, and its going to change my life.
I booked myself in for the 24th july as i can only make it on a saturday, i was hoping to get it earlier but saturdays were very busy as expected.
After looking online, i noticed that optimax did a Standby appointment service, where you can pick a date, and if someone cancels an appoinment, you will be called and you appoinment changed. i spoke to an online advisor, asking if he could put my name down incase a saturday pops up any earlier. Luckily for me, someone had cancelled the evening before and managed to get a booking for the following satuday. i was more than pleased!
The 10th had a arrived, i woke up excited and nervous and soon arrived at the Finchley road clini at 8.45am. it wasnt long before i was taken to a room to have a check on my eyes. It was the usual "look at the airballoon, you'll see some red flashes. look into the blue dot etc..." the usual..
afetr filling out some forms and paying the rest of the deposite, i sat down and waitied anxiously until i was called into the laser room. This was the point i got nervous, i sat on a chair and got told to put on a very fetching hair net indeed! The nurse then put some props in my eyes and cleaned them, after 5 minutes, i got called to the treatment bed and layed there.
Before i knew it something was placed over my left eye, i wasnt expecting the pressure i got but it didnt hurt, it was just unexpected. this created the flap, and once that eye was done, he oved to the nxt.
"Right thats the worst part over with" i heard. Thank goodness i thought, if that part was the worse then this is a piece of cake! i then saw a different machine placed above my head, this obviously being the laser. The surgeon plcaed something on my eye to prevent me from blinking,people refer to this as a "the clamp" which is exagerated, its tiny and you dont feel it attatched which was a relief.
one eye at a time, i was told to look into the red haze. after about 20 seconds an eye, it was done. the laser part was so so easy, yes you can smell something like everyone says, but its nothing bad. the laser itself was kind of like listening to someone welding, just a sort of "click click" sound (hard to explain).
But anyway, straight after, i was told i could sit up and sit in a room by myself for a couple of minutes. a lady then checked my eyes quickly, i was given my bag of medication and told i could go home and rest my eyes.
As for getting home, this was the worst part, i had to get the tube with my friend and the sun was so bright i had to close my eyes for most of the way, but after walking into a walll and some bushes later, i made it home lol. i would reccommend anyone, if you can, get someone to pick you up by car as the tube on a busy saturday morning with the sun beaming, isnt the best option in my experience.
i went to bed straight away and my eyes were streaming, the feeling was kind of like peeling a few onions, but not being able to rub your eyes afterwards. i then took the "pain" eye drops, applied the eye guards, and slept for a few hours. i woke up and things were a lot better, by eyes had stopped streaming and the feeling had gone.
i couldnt believe i could actually see, it was the best feeling in the worls, not having to wake up and the first thing you do is reach for your glasses was brilliant. my vision was a little blurry when looking at text, but this is normal and will improve over time i am told.
Today was my aftercare appointment, i turned up and was in and out within 2 minutes litterally. the lady looked into my eyes with a torch (look left, look right, look up etc etc...) and then the "air balloon" image again, and that was it. I was told eveything was ok and my eyes wwere healing fine, i could read the second to bottom line on the chart, but was assured my eyes will improve considerably over the next few daays.
So thats where im at now! i have my next check up appointment on tuesday so will see how it goes from there and post an update. so far so good, i am really happy so far and so glad i went for it and had it done.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 29 July 2010 11:01
Posts: 18,
Visits: 21
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Hi Terry
I am really glad that you managed to have your surgery earlier than you thought. I had Lasek at leicester on 1st July and can't beleive how much more i can see! i keep reading stuff out, (even when i'm in the car by myself). I hope that your sight continues to improve.
All the best
Rachel
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 27 January 2012 11:11
Posts: 14,
Visits: 75
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i sure hope so too! i had my consultation in leicester actually as thats where i live, had the treatment in london though as was easier for me!
im glad yours went well. it can only get better 
all the best
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 29 July 2010 11:01
Posts: 18,
Visits: 21
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Thanks Terry.
Keep us posted please.
Rachel
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 27 January 2012 11:11
Posts: 14,
Visits: 75
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i shall, apparently i have got a bit of inflamitary on my left eye lid so need to go back on tuesday which is sooner than usual apparently, and use the pink eye drops every 2 hours, rather than the 4 times a days as previously instructed.
thanks for your response rachel, i shall keep yourself and anyone following my post, updated.
Regards
Terry
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04 October 2011 11:53
Posts: 8,
Visits: 14
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Hi Terry,
Glad yours has gone well. I had mine done on Saturday as well. My left eye is almost perfect but my right still has a lot of catching up to do  I'm hoping it will over time but I'm really worried in case I need to go back for more surgery!
In any case, I can still see a hell of a lot better than I could...it's just slightly blurry in the right!
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 29 July 2010 11:01
Posts: 18,
Visits: 21
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Hi Terry
I am sorry to hear that you have had a problem with your eye and wish you a speedy recovery, it sounds as though optimax are looking after you .
i had my 2nd aftercare appointment today and have been told i now have 20:20 vision! so i am very pleased.  .
I am hoping that you will have the same news shortly.
Best regards
Rachel
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 29 July 2010 11:01
Posts: 18,
Visits: 21
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Hi Flufffington
Please don't feel disheartened, it is still very early days, i'm sure that your other eye will 'catch up' shortly.
Best regards
Rachel
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 11 October 2010 19:36
Posts: 19,
Visits: 73
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Hi
My right eye was also nowhere near as good as my left eye.
It was much better than it had been before surgery, but I found reading text very difficult with this eye.
It really is just about patience, I can see there has been improvement over time, and I think sometimes it happens in such small increments you don't really notice the change.
Don't be disheartened, it should just be a matter of time before the right eye catches up
Naz
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Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 04 October 2011 11:53
Posts: 8,
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Thanks so much for the positiveness. I'm feeling that it is slowly improving so fingers crossed!
Thanks :o)
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